Board of Directors

BC CAHS has an amazing Board of Directors who generously gives time and utilizes their diverse experience to provide direction for the Centre’s ongoing activities. Drawing upon their experience and affiliations, BC CAHS Board Members are able to address the needs of a wide variety of stakeholder interests and needs. This experience includes: academic institutions, environmental and conservation organizations, salmon aquaculture, shellfish aquaculture, government, fish health products and consulting services.

Al Castledine

Over a 30 year period, Al Castledine held various policy, development and extension positions in aquaculture and fisheries with the governments of Ontario, British Columbia and the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans. He holds postgraduate degrees in nutrition (MSc. University of Guelph) and biochemistry (PhD. University of Victoria). These research degrees concerned vitamin and lipid requirements of fish respectively. He retired in 2010 from his position as Director of Aquaculture in the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands and since then has consulted in Canada, Sri Lanka and Abu Dhabi. He has been a strong supporter of CAHS through conception to implementation. He sees CAHS as key to advancing knowledge of health in wild and captive fish populations within the broader context of ecosystem health.

Alan Dermot Martin

Mr. Martin has extensive knowledge and experience in British Columbia’s resource management issues following the 30 years experience in the BC Public Service in a variety of Ministries. He retired, as Executive Director, Fish Wildlife and Ecosystems with the British Columbia Ministry of Environment in January, 2010. Prior to retirement, he provided leadership to improve and develop science-based environmental stewardship programs; implemented policy planning and legislative processes to meet provincial resource management objectives, particularly related to fisheries and wildlife management.

He was formerly a government representative on the Board of Directors for the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation and the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC. He is the BC Wildlife Federation Representative on the Hunting and Angling Advisory Committee to the federal Ministers of Environment and Fisheries and Oceans and the Provincial Round Table on the Environment and the Economy and Board of Directors for the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation.

Bruce Bell, BCom, LLB

Bruce is a retired lawyer (BC, Alberta and England) currently living in Courtenay, BC with his wife, Jean. During his working career, he practiced law in Vancouver with Russell & DuMoulin (now Faskens) and also worked successively in Switzerland, England, Alberta and the Bahamas for major firm clients. His legal focus was Corporate, Commercial, Banking and International Business Transactions. Bruce has extensive Board experience in working with numerous private and public organizations.

Since retiring in 2006, he has devoted his time and energy to supporting Jean’s equestrian ambitions, enjoying his six grandchildren, golfing, gardening, fishing and working with service and volunteer organizations.

Bruce is a Director of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC, a Director of the Pacific Salmon Foundation, a past Governor and past Chair of the North Island College Board of Governors and a volunteer at the Oyster River Enhancement Society.

Dallas Smith

David Ewart

David Ewart has extensive knowledge and experience in the operations and management of salmon enhancement projects on Vancouver Island. Prior to retiring from the Department of Fisheries & Oceans Canada in September of 2014, his 35 year career included work as a Fisheries patrolman, Salmon hatchery fish culture technician, Operations Manager, and Watershed Enhancement Manager. Gaining hands on experience in fisheries management, fish culture, assessment, and research was invaluable in providing a solid background to advance in his career.

As Manager of Quinsam River Hatchery for 18 years, he was involved in many projects and committees including the Campbell River Water Use Plan with BC Hydro, Quinsam Hatchery Modernisation project, Regional Health & Safety Committee, and various Salmon Enhancement Program planning groups.

He currently volunteers with the Discovery Passage SeaLife Society to provide technical support for their small aquarium in Campbell River. He also continues to be actively involved with local volunteer salmon enhancement and stream stewardship projects. His formal education includes a two year applied science diploma in Renewable Resource Management from Lethbridge Community College.

He is very interested in BCCAHS continuing to be involved in proactive research that looks at local aquatic conditions that may provide answers to questions surrounding survival rates of wild fish stocks.

Josh Samson, CPA, CA

Josh is a Chartered Accountant who grew up in Campbell River. Josh obtained his Bachelor of Commerce degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of British Columbia. After university, Josh spent 12 years in Vancouver working for the public accounting firm Deloitte LLP. At Deloitte, Josh was part of the audit and advisory group where he worked with clients from a variety of industries including mining, forestry, retail, insurance and financial institutions. Josh has alot of experience working with boards and board committees providing financial and accounting advice.

Josh and his family moved back to Campbell River in October 2015 where Josh is now the Corporate Treasurer for Broadstreet Properties Ltd. In addition to being a board member of BC CAHS, Josh is a board member and the Treasurer of the Campbell River Community Foundation.

Maureen Ritter

Maureen Ritter was born and raised in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. Ever since she could hold a fishing rod she has. Maureen began her career with fish working for Apex Bio Resources on the Chemainus River SEP over 35 years ago. Maureen’s career has led her up and down the coast of BC managing freshwater hatcheries along with overseeing various freshwater operations. Maureen has been a volunteer with the Nootka Sound Resource Board and the Nootka Sound Watershed Committee. Since moving to Black Creek Maureen, along with her daughters, has volunteered for the Oyster River Enhancement Society. Maureen currently is the Chair of the BC CAHS Board and Managing Director for Canada Cryogenetics Services. This allows her to follow her passion with working with fish on all levels. Maureen’s motto is working through collaboration with all interested parties, brings successful resolutions for the future.

When Maureen is not working she can be found camping or boating with her family.

Norm Johnson, BSc

Norm has worked up and down the Coast for 40 years on fisheries projects. After 4 years with the Chemainus Salmon Enhancement Program working with Dr. David Groves, he went to the University of Victoria to earn a BSc and to work with Dr. Ed Ishiguro on salmonid diseases.

After university, Norm worked with abalone, salmon, tilapia and a variety of other fish. He spent 10 years at the University of Victoria running a fisheries research wetlab.

He was the Fisheries Program Manager for the Council of the Haida Nation and is currently the Hatchery Manager for the Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA). With the ONA, he is collaborating on many First Nation fisheries projects across BC.

Norm and his wife are based out of a small hobby farm on the outskirts of Victoria, BC.

Peter Woodward, DVM, BSc

Senior Veterinarian, Campbell River Veterinary Hospital

Dr. Peter Woodward was born and raised in Vancouver. He is the senior veterinarian at Campbell River Veterinary Hospital. Peter obtained his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at Ross University on the island of St. Kitts, West Indies, and finished his clinical year at Washington State University. He holds a BSc. in Biology and Chemistry from Acadia University, Nova Scotia and attend Brentwood College School in Mill Bay. Peter’s primary focus is in small animal Preventative Health and Internal Medicine and has been an owner and an associate at Campbell River Veterinary Hospital for six years.

Peter has a passion for the recreational side of fishing with over ten years of being a recreational sports fishing guide on Vancouver Island. His passion for fishing year round is one the main reason he decided to leave private practice in Vancouver and make Campbell River home. He and his wife have two young children and full house of rescued cats, dogs, fish, and chickens.

Yvonne Sheehan, BSc

Brood Program Manager, Marine Harvest Canada

Yvonne was born and raised in Conception Bay South, Newfoundland. She attended Memorial University in St. John’s, Newfoundland and graduated with her B.Sc. in Biology in 1995. She went on to the Marine Institute’s Masters in Aquaculture and completed her first year of the program receiving her Graduate Diploma in Aquaculture before being recruited by a BC aquaculture company.

Yvonne’s experience in aquaculture and fisheries research spans the course of over 22 years and includes: Aquaculture Site Manager, Smolt Quality Manager, Production Manager, General Manager and at present, Brood Program Manager. She has proven herself as a tenacious and innovative leader in a cutting edge breeding program, delivering substantial commercial results with proven cost control and budgeting experience.

After spending four years abroad, as General Manager with Salmon Enterprises of Tasmania (SALTAS), Yvonne and her family returned to Vancouver Island where she joined Marine Harvest May of 2014.